Congratulations
by ElsieLorraine
Summary: Because, after all, she deserved a congratulatory action from him.


_Disclaimer__: I do not own Pokemon or _Congratulations_ by Cliff Richard._

**Congratulations**

(*)

_Congratulations and jubilations. I want the world to know I'm as happy as I can be._

(*)

"This is interesting," the Ponce region Contest emcee, Arianne, announces looking at the scoreboard which currently flashes the scored from the just finished battle. She blinks her wide eyes in surprise. "I have to get the judges' verdict on this."

The two Coordinators lift their faces and look at the scoreboard for themselves. They look back down and catch sight of each other's faces, one with an evident look of surprise, and one still trying to mask the surprise that is evidently creeping onto his face.

Murmurs hum through the Umaga Contest Stadium, where the region's annual Grand Festival is currently being held. Every person looks to their neighbour, who until now they paid no attention to. They each begin discussing the unexpected outcome of the five minute double battle between the two finalists.

Arianne clears her throat on the microphone, effectively silencing the gathered crowd. All want to know who is to be crowned the victor of the recent battle.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Arianne broadcasts excitedly. Her face is bright and she is practically bouncing. "I have just gotten the official word from our judges. For the first time in Grand Festival history, we have a tie!"

The two Coordinators continue to stare at each other from across the battle field, the sapphire pair of eyes wide as saucers, the emerald pair impassive.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please give a big round of applause to our Ponce Grand Festival Champions, May Maple and Drew Hayden!" Arianne continues. The sound of cheering and clapping echoes in the dome stadium as the two Coordinators make their way to the center of the field to retrieve their award. A variety of coloured confetti is thrown.

"We only have one Cup," Arianne tells the winners. "We didn't expect a tie."

Drew flicks his green hair. Several teenage girls squeal at the sight of that action. "May can have the Cup," the male Coordinator, ever the gentleman, says. "She needs it more than I do." He sends a smirk to the brunette Coordinator and sticks his hand out for the girl to shake. "It seems like you're catching up to my Coordinating prowess."

May rolls her eyes. At the age of eighteen, the brunette is already accustomed to Drew's constant teasing remarks about her coordinating abilities, as well as his arrogant attitude. She gracefully accepts his hand and shakes it professionally. "We both know that I'm the one who won the Grand Festival last year and not you," May teases. "Looks like you're the one doing the catching up."

"Or your game is dropping," Drew says smartly. "Either way, you can keep the Cup. I've got a definite feeling that I'm going to win the next few coming Grand Festivals. Maybe for the next decade."

"Way to be humble, Drew," May says sarcastically.

Drew's smirk widens. "Just stating the truth."

(*)

After the hullaballoo of the whole awarding ceremony - Arianne insisted on interviewing both Coordinators right on the stage while the paparazzi blinded the two with their camera flashes - May and Drew find themselves at a picnic with their friends in a nearby beach.

May and Drew both sit on the plaid red picnic mat after the leftover food has been packed after eating. Misty stands in the middle of a makeshift battle field refereeing Ash and Gary's battle. Jimmy walks around the beach, taking random photos of the scenery with Marina tagging along with him. Kenny runs away from Dawn and Leaf after he 'accidentally' pushes the two in the water.

May leans back on her hands as she extends her legs in front of her. She allows the five o'clock sun to hit her exposed skin - everything but what her blue bikini and matching boards shorts are covering. Her now straight, shoulder length hair moves with the wind as a breeze passes by. She lifts her chin slightly, closes her eyes, and smiles pleasantly.

The brunette jumps in surprise as she feels something light land on her thighs. She looks down, sees three red, thornless roses and unconsciously smiles wider. Sitting up straight, she picks each rose up and fingers their petals tenderly.

"Three?" May asks Drew. She is used to getting those certain flowers from him. After eight years, May already has a vast collection of 'roses from Drew for Beautifly' she presses, some of which she keeps in a small scrapbook or makes into the occasional bookmark. This is, however, her first time to get three at once.

The girl cranes her neck to look at the guy beside her. Drew half lies down on the sand with his elbows propped up to support him. His toned torso is seen underneath his open button-up shirt. His legs are slightly bent upwards at his knees and are clad in purple board shorts. His gaze is directed to the waters.

"For your Pokemon," Drew says dismissively. "You used three of them today, didn't you? Dratini for the appeals and Vulpix and Glaceon for the battle?" May nods. "Pity Vulpix fainted though. It was doing a good job."

May scowls. "I'll deliver them to Dratini, Vulpix and Glaceon when I get them back from the Pokemon Center," May promises after rolling her eyes. She takes a deep sigh in as she recalls the afternoon's Contest. "We made history," she announces.

Drew chuckles. "You mean we made history _again_. You have the title of the Youngest Female Grand Festival Champion. I've got the Youngest Grand Festival Champion _Ever_ and the Youngest Male Grand Festival Champion for winning two years ago. Now we're the First Joint Winners in a Grand Festival. Feel special?"

May grins. "I do, actually. Unless anyone younger than seventeen years old wins a Grand Festival, then I'm the holder of that title."

"Along with the Princess of Hoenn," Drew reminds the brunette. "I don't even get why they call you that. You're far from being a princess..."

"Because," May says flatly, "you're apparently Hoenn's Prince Charming and they pair us together." The girl scowls. "You're not even at all charming."

Drew chuckles again. "My fan girls say otherwise. You should talk to them sometime, you'd make great friends." May grimaces and then suddenly giggles.

"I can tell them all the embarrassing things you've done," May jeers as she sends a playful punch to Drew's shoulder.

"I know more embarrassing things about you than you know about me and everyone else combined," Drew counters as he flicks the brunette's leg as revenge for hitting him. "Which, not only can I reveal to the public, but also use a blackmail."

"You won't blackmail me," May proclaims surely.

"How can you be sure?" Drew drawls as he sends a challenging look to the girl's direction.

"Because I know you," May says in a definite tone. "And I know you wouldn't do that to me, except in extreme circumstances."

"Like when?" Drew asks in a curious voice.

"If ever you get desperate to win against me the next Grand Festival." May raises her head.

Drew rolls his eyes at that remakr. "I don't need to blackmail you to win. Everyone knows that."

"You're so arrogant," May complains with a pout. "How come my Pokemon get a congratulations from you for winning the Contest and I don't?"

"Evidently because your Pokemon did all the work." He looks at her as if she missed the obvious.

"I trained them," she declares with a finger pointing upwards for emphasis on the fact.

"You stood there commanding them to do stuff."

"You did too." The brunette retorts indignantly.

"Am I asking for a congratulations from you?"

May huffs. "Fine, you don't get one."

"I didn't want one." Drew changes his look to a teasing one. "Why are you so desperate for one?"

May sticks her tongue at the boy. "I am nowhere near desperate," she defends. "I am far from desperate."

"If you weren't desperate, you wouldn't be asking for one," Drew says answers back.

The female Coordinator pulls her knees to her chest and lays her back down on the sand, crossing her arms over her chest. She sighs deeply. "Whatever, Drew." A moment of silence falls upon the pair. "Where are you off to next?" May asks, ultimately changing the topic of their discussion. She locks gazes with Drew.

Drew shrugs. "Gary said he's heading out to some nearby region. Lambert, I think it's called. I might go with him there," Drew answers casually. "And I suppose you're going to follow me aren't you? We all know you can't last a day without me."

May scowls. "As if," she says, scoffing at Drew's remark. Her eyes soften as she gazes at her Beautifly, who flutters at the right area so that it blocks the sun out of May's eyes. "We all know that you'd have told me your next destination anyway. You look for me at every Contest."

Drew smirks. "I won't deny that," he replies with a casual flick of his seemingly silky hair. "You follow me anyway. You are my rival after all. I need someone adequate to beat." May rolls her eyes at his statement.

The call of their names make both Drew and May lift their own pair of eyes. Sapphire and emerald break apart from their previous trance and look towards the direction of the orange and purple hues of the setting sun. From the water, Leaf places her hands on her hips. "Are you two not going to get in the water at all today?" she calls out to the lazing Coordinators.

May giggles at her best friend, but stands up. "We're coming, we're coming," she calls back before she turns to Drew and offers her hands to pull him up.

Effortlessly, she hoists him to his feet, mostly because he pushes himself up anyway. He brushes the sand off his clothes and follows the girl to where she strides over to join the rest of their friends.

With a devious smirk, Drew grabs one of May's hands before the girl could go any further. The girl stops, turns around and raises an eyebrow, but says nothing in response to the guy's actions. Instead she lets herself get pulled in and stops herself right before she bumps into his chest.

Wordlessly, Drew traces his finger along May's jawline and stops to hold her chin in between his pointer finger and thumb, his eyes locking onto her. He lets go of May's hand and lifts his own to tuck some brown hair behind the girl's ear then brings the hand back down. May shivers under Drew's touch but resists the blush creeping up her neck.

With one smooth manoeuvre, Drew wraps his arm around May's waist and pulls her in closer. He tilts her head slightly back and crashes his lips onto her. Her eyes widen as shock takes over her body. A few seconds pass and she calms down, closes her eyes and locks her arms around Drew's neck.

The green-head smirks in the kiss, shuts his eyes, and leans forwards ever so slightly as he takes things further. The hand on May's chin is brought down to support the brunettes back. Her knees feel weak, but she manages to keep standing, moving her lips with Drew with just as much passion as the guy.

The two break apart only because they need an intake of breath. His lips linger just millimeters away from hers. Her forehead is glued to his. Their eyes lock on to each other.

"What was that for?" May murmurs breathlessly as she runs her fingers through the hair hanging at Drew's nape. The guy smiles and plants a chaste kiss at the part right below the brunette's ear before he lets go of the girl completely.

"That," Drew says ever so cockily, "was the congratulations you so desperately wanted." He flicks his hair and turns on his heel. He walks over to where his friends watch the scene with amusement and flashes them an arrogant smirk.

"That is also another reason why I know you're going to follow me to Lambert region," he calls over his shoulder to the still stunned girl. "You're going to want to give me my return congratulations." He turns around and winks at May. "And yes," he says as he shoves his hands in his shorts pockets. "I'm _begging_ for a one."

Before he walks too far from May, Drew stops again and tosses a rose to the brunette. "You did well," he calls as the girl fumbles with the rose. She smiles and runs over to jump on his back and he carries her in a piggy-back as he steps in the water and watches the rest of the sunset.

**A/N**: I was debating on whether or not to make this story in past tense or not, so I thought I'd try something and not make it in past tense. How was it? I'm still finding my writing style, so it changes depending on whose story I'm reading while I write, this case being one not from the Pokemon archive.

...

Anyway, review please!

- Raine


End file.
